Anyone adapt an '82-'90 s10 pickup body onto a '69 c10 frame?

[72timemachine]

The reason I am curious is that I watched a video in where a 4.8 liter with a 4L80e was retrofitted into the engine bay. Components such as the a/c hitting the frame, headers contacting the upper control arm bushing brackets, power steering box too close for comfort...blah, blah, blah seemed to be a real bummer.

I have a '69 c10 rolling chassis and was curious if anyone else out there has tried to attach the '82-'90 s10 body to a '69 frame. Seems you would have more room in the engine bay and not have so many issues like the ones previously mentioned. Granted the '69 frame is longer and would need to be modified and while I am unsure on the width of the frame on an s10, I do not have one to measure right this moment for comparison. My '69 frame width is about 34" outside frame rail to outside frame rail just behind the rear cab mount brackets when I took a crude measurement last night.

I understand this would not change the room you have to play with within engine bay parameters of the s10's body but having more room with the '69 frame should lend itself for better fitment of a small block v-8 engine, no?

One last questions. Does the s10 stock rim share the same lug bolt pattern of a c10 stock rim?

Any advice or attachment of existing threads would be appreciated, thanks ahead of time.

[71gmcC15]

Cant help with much but the bolt pattern is different for the rims. They use the car 5 bolt pattern 5 x4.5 I think.

[special-K]

4 3/4"

[HO455]

If you went with the older frame the problem then becomes trying to tuck the wheels back under the wheel wells. Having both a 91 S10 Blazer and a 67 Burban I can tell you there is at least one foot difference in the width of the 2 trucks. At best you would be swapping one set of problems for another.
Another thing to consider is the transplanting of a V8 into an S10 is a common swap and the pitfalls are well know as are the fixes. Some of which are easily bought. Where as on the other hand you may be one of the first ones to put a full size 2wd frame under an S10 body.

[gmc684x4]

My question is how are you planing on narrowing the front suspension to fit under the wheel wells ?
rear diff will be on the wide side as well

[72timemachine]

Thank you for all the information. I just came from the junkyard and sat inside an s10...bit of a snug fit for a person my size, couple that with the pitfalls mentioned by members who answered my question have made me aware it is not worth the effort.

I was originally contemplating putting my 1990 body on the '69 frame but that 1990 frame is a bit wider compared to the '69 frame measured at the same spot on the frame just behind the rear cab mount...approximately 34" od on the '69 and 45" od on the '90 frame rails. I was just thinking of a way to build a smog exempt truck for which there are plenty of parts available, those being the '90 c1500 or the early model s10.